Convair XF2Y Seadart Buno 135762 - sound barrier

[Chuck]

From http://www.staugustine.com (St. Augustine FL 21 Dec 2003)

By SUSAN PARKER
Historian

With this past week's centennial celebration of the Wright Brothers'
first flight, the focus on aviation pioneers has been both historical
and personal for me.

My uncle, Charles Eugene Richbourg, a son of St. Augustine, was the
first person to break the sound barrier in a seaplane on Aug. 3, 1954.
Three months later he was killed testing another version of that plane,
the SeaDart. His remains were returned to St. Augustine to be buried in
the National Cemetery.

Uncle Charlie, my father's younger brother, grew up on Milton Street,
near the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind. Other boys in the
neighborhood -- Frank and Hamilton Upchurch and Richard Watson, now with
their own distinguished careers -- have recalled for me my uncle's
passion for creating model airplanes in the workshop in the family
garage.

An alumnus of Ketterlinus High School and of MIT, Charles Richbourg
became a test pilot for Convair after four years as a Navy pilot in
World War II. He tested an experimental seaplane that would double as a
high-performance delta-winged jet fighter. In those days test pilots
were very involved in designing the planes in addition to
flight-testing. He knew Chuck Yeager and his name was included in early
discussions of astronaut candidates.
Uncle Charlie came from a flying family.

Over half of its six family members were pilots -- Charles, his father,
his older brother and his older sister. James W. Richbourg, his father
and my grandfather, established St. Augustine Flying Enterprises with
Lucius Rees in 1928, to run an airfield on State Road 16, train pilots
and service aircraft. Would it frustrate and puzzle them to know that I
swallow a tranquilizer before boarding a plane?

To me, Charles Richbourg was, first of all, my tall uncle since I was a
child when he died. It was years later that I realized the larger world
of his achievements. I see him now in a few scattered moments in my
memory. I recall one day when he squatted down to my own short size and
set me on his knee. I was the 3-year-old flower girl in his wedding, but
my memory's image of the event is mostly the flames flickering on the
tall candelabra at the end of the church aisle. He and my father
standing at the end of the aisle are shadows in my memory.

It was happenstance that CBS news cameras were filming what turned out
to be his final flight in early November 1954. [Life magazine also
featured photos].

Although I had already been told of the tragedy, I did not expect to see
Uncle Charlie wave good-by from the cockpit on the evening news. Then I
saw his plane explode, bursting apart in the air.

No one else has ever flown faster than the speed of sound in a seaplane.
---end St. Augustine Record newspaper article---

Chuck



HEAVY ATTACK COMPOSITE (VC-5,6,7,8,9) WEBSITE
http://community.webtv.net/charles379/USNComposite

FAIRECONRON ONE AND TWO (VQ-1/2) CASUALTIES
http://www.anzwers.org/free/navyscpo4/Chuck_Huber_AirCrew.html

[Legal Tender]

There was a Sea Dart over at NAS Norfolk back in April of 1968. Cockpit was
closed but no other protection on the Jet. There was also a "Pogo". Do not
know what ever happened to them..
Frank


"Chuck" > wrote in message
...
> From http://www.staugustine.com (St. Augustine FL 21 Dec 2003)
>
> By SUSAN PARKER
> Historian
>
> With this past week's centennial celebration of the Wright Brothers'
> first flight, the focus on aviation pioneers has been both historical
> and personal for me.
>
> My uncle, Charles Eugene Richbourg, a son of St. Augustine, was the
> first person to break the sound barrier in a seaplane on Aug. 3, 1954.
> Three months later he was killed testing another version of that plane,
> the SeaDart. His remains were returned to St. Augustine to be buried in
> the National Cemetery.
>
> Uncle Charlie, my father's younger brother, grew up on Milton Street,
> near the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind. Other boys in the
> neighborhood -- Frank and Hamilton Upchurch and Richard Watson, now with
> their own distinguished careers -- have recalled for me my uncle's
> passion for creating model airplanes in the workshop in the family
> garage.
>
> An alumnus of Ketterlinus High School and of MIT, Charles Richbourg
> became a test pilot for Convair after four years as a Navy pilot in
> World War II. He tested an experimental seaplane that would double as a
> high-performance delta-winged jet fighter. In those days test pilots
> were very involved in designing the planes in addition to
> flight-testing. He knew Chuck Yeager and his name was included in early
> discussions of astronaut candidates.
> Uncle Charlie came from a flying family.
>
> Over half of its six family members were pilots -- Charles, his father,
> his older brother and his older sister. James W. Richbourg, his father
> and my grandfather, established St. Augustine Flying Enterprises with
> Lucius Rees in 1928, to run an airfield on State Road 16, train pilots
> and service aircraft. Would it frustrate and puzzle them to know that I
> swallow a tranquilizer before boarding a plane?
>
> To me, Charles Richbourg was, first of all, my tall uncle since I was a
> child when he died. It was years later that I realized the larger world
> of his achievements. I see him now in a few scattered moments in my
> memory. I recall one day when he squatted down to my own short size and
> set me on his knee. I was the 3-year-old flower girl in his wedding, but
> my memory's image of the event is mostly the flames flickering on the
> tall candelabra at the end of the church aisle. He and my father
> standing at the end of the aisle are shadows in my memory.
>
> It was happenstance that CBS news cameras were filming what turned out
> to be his final flight in early November 1954. [Life magazine also
> featured photos].
>
> Although I had already been told of the tragedy, I did not expect to see
> Uncle Charlie wave good-by from the cockpit on the evening news. Then I
> saw his plane explode, bursting apart in the air.
>
> No one else has ever flown faster than the speed of sound in a seaplane.
> ---end St. Augustine Record newspaper article---
>
> Chuck
>
>
>
> HEAVY ATTACK COMPOSITE (VC-5,6,7,8,9) WEBSITE
> http://community.webtv.net/charles379/USNComposite
>
> FAIRECONRON ONE AND TWO (VQ-1/2) CASUALTIES
> http://www.anzwers.org/free/navyscpo4/Chuck_Huber_AirCrew.html
>

[Jdf4cheval]

Coincidentally, I've just returned from a brief trip to San Diego, where I had
time to look at the SD Aerospace Museum in Balboa Park. Very professionally
done, and well worth working into any visit to San Diego. At the entrance are
two planeguards, an SR-71 and the first Sea Dart I've ever seen.
<<
There was a Sea Dart over at NAS Norfolk back in April of 1968. Cockpit was
closed but no other protection on the Jet. There was also a "Pogo". Do not
know what ever happened to them..
Frank

>>

[Leanne]

> There was a Sea Dart over at NAS Norfolk back in April of 1968.
Cockpit was
> closed but no other protection on the Jet. There was also a
"Pogo". Do not
> know what ever happened to them..

Frank,

I don't know how many they built, but there is one outside the
EAA musem at the Lakeland Linder Airport in Forida.

Leanne

[Tex Houston]

"Leanne" > wrote in message
...
> > There was a Sea Dart over at NAS Norfolk back in April of 1968.
> Cockpit was
> > closed but no other protection on the Jet. There was also a
> "Pogo". Do not
> > know what ever happened to them..
>
> Frank,
>
> I don't know how many they built, but there is one outside the
> EAA musem at the Lakeland Linder Airport in Forida.
>
> Leanne


With the EAA Museum located in Oshkosh, might you be talking about the
Florida Air Museum?

Regards,

Tex Houston

[Bob McKellar]

Tex Houston wrote:

> "Leanne" > wrote in message
> ...
> > > There was a Sea Dart over at NAS Norfolk back in April of 1968.
> > Cockpit was
> > > closed but no other protection on the Jet. There was also a
> > "Pogo". Do not
> > > know what ever happened to them..
> >
> > Frank,
> >
> > I don't know how many they built, but there is one outside the
> > EAA musem at the Lakeland Linder Airport in Forida.
> >
> > Leanne
>
> With the EAA Museum located in Oshkosh, might you be talking about the
> Florida Air Museum?
>
> Regards,
>
> Tex Houston

From: http://www.coastcomp.com/av/pres/prest.htm

Convair XF2/YF2 Sea Dart


XF2 137634 Garber Facility - Smithsonian
(Prototype)
YF2Y-1 135763 95 San Diego Aerospace Museum(CA)
YF2Y-1 135764 JUL94 Willow Grove (PA) NAS
YF2Y-1 135765 APR97 LAKELAND (FL) Sun and Fun MUSEUM

Bob McKellar

[Ogden Johnson III]

Bob McKellar > wrote:

>From: http://www.coastcomp.com/av/pres/prest.htm
>
>Convair XF2/YF2 Sea Dart
>
>
>XF2 137634 Garber Facility - Smithsonian
>(Prototype)
>YF2Y-1 135763 95 San Diego Aerospace Museum(CA)
>YF2Y-1 135764 JUL94 Willow Grove (PA) NAS
>YF2Y-1 135765 APR97 LAKELAND (FL) Sun and Fun MUSEUM

Thanks for the info. But it brings two questions to mind.

Does anyone know the present status of that XF2? [The page shows last
edit in May of 2003.] If restoration is complete, could it have been
moved to the new NASM's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center located at
Washington Dulles International Airport? Last location shown on the
Smithsonian pages is G22 at the Garber Facility. [From
http://www.nasm.si.edu/collections/air_space.cfm et seq]

The XF2's full designation shown on the NASM pages is XF2Y-1. I note
that its BuNo is 137634, nearly 2000 numbers beyond the YF2Y-1s. From
what I learned while serving, the Xs usually preceded the Ys in the
typical development spectrum. Whassup with the Sea Darts that they
went out of order?
--
OJ III
[Email sent to Yahoo addy is burned before reading.
Lower and crunch the sig and you'll net me at comcast]

[Bob McKellar]

Ogden Johnson III wrote:

> Bob McKellar > wrote:
>
> >From: http://www.coastcomp.com/av/pres/prest.htm
> >
> >Convair XF2/YF2 Sea Dart
> >
> >
> >XF2 137634 Garber Facility - Smithsonian
> >(Prototype)
> >YF2Y-1 135763 95 San Diego Aerospace Museum(CA)
> >YF2Y-1 135764 JUL94 Willow Grove (PA) NAS
> >YF2Y-1 135765 APR97 LAKELAND (FL) Sun and Fun MUSEUM
>
> Thanks for the info. But it brings two questions to mind.
>
> Does anyone know the present status of that XF2? [The page shows last
> edit in May of 2003.] If restoration is complete, could it have been
> moved to the new NASM's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center located at
> Washington Dulles International Airport? Last location shown on the
> Smithsonian pages is G22 at the Garber Facility. [From
> http://www.nasm.si.edu/collections/air_space.cfm et seq]
>
> The XF2's full designation shown on the NASM pages is XF2Y-1. I note
> that its BuNo is 137634, nearly 2000 numbers beyond the YF2Y-1s. From
> what I learned while serving, the Xs usually preceded the Ys in the
> typical development spectrum. Whassup with the Sea Darts that they
> went out of order?
> --
> OJ III
> [Email sent to Yahoo addy is burned before reading.
> Lower and crunch the sig and you'll net me at comcast]

When in doubt, check with Joe Baugher!
http://home.att.net/~jbaugher1/f7.html

The "Preserved List" is updated sporadically and randomly, usually in the
dead of winter[1] when there is nothing much else to do.

[1] Not that "winter" around Savannah would impress a lot of you

Bob McKellar

[Tex Houston]

"Ogden Johnson III" > wrote in message
...
> Does anyone know the present status of that XF2? [The page shows last
> edit in May of 2003.] If restoration is complete, could it have been
> moved to the new NASM's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center located at
> Washington Dulles International Airport? Last location shown on the
> Smithsonian pages is G22 at the Garber Facility. [From
> http://www.nasm.si.edu/collections/air_space.cfm et seq]

> OJ III

I checked the UHC list at:

http://www.nasm.si.edu/museum/udvarhazy/artifacts_air.cfm

and they have no Convair aircraft listed. May very well still be in
storage.

Tex Houston

[Ogden Johnson III]

Bob McKellar > wrote:

>Ogden Johnson III wrote:

>When in doubt, check with Joe Baugher!
>http://home.att.net/~jbaugher1/f7.html
>
>The "Preserved List" is updated sporadically and randomly, usually in the
>dead of winter[1] when there is nothing much else to do.

They weren't life or death questions, just random curiosity on a slow
morning [we have done XMas at New Years for years - since all the kids
are out of everyone's house].

>[1] Not that "winter" around Savannah would impress a lot of you

It would me - if I had the good fortune to be living there. I loved
it the few months we spent there when I was a kid and dad was going to
a school at Ft Gordon before hieing off to the Korean War. Then
pulled regular weekend liberty there the few times I was TAD to MCAS
Beaufort. *The* nicest place I've ever spent time in - and that
includes 2 years as a military brat in Hawaii.
--
OJ III
[Email sent to Yahoo addy is burned before reading.
Lower and crunch the sig and you'll net me at comcast]

[Ogden Johnson III]

"Tex Houston" > wrote:

>"Ogden Johnson III" > wrote in message

>> Does anyone know the present status of that XF2? [The page shows last
>> edit in May of 2003.] If restoration is complete, could it have been
>> moved to the new NASM's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center located at
>> Washington Dulles International Airport? Last location shown on the
>> Smithsonian pages is G22 at the Garber Facility. [From
>> http://www.nasm.si.edu/collections/air_space.cfm et seq]

>I checked the UHC list at:
>
>http://www.nasm.si.edu/museum/udvarhazy/artifacts_air.cfm
>
>and they have no Convair aircraft listed. May very well still be in
>storage.

First nice weekend this spring, before the tourae hordes hit us, I'm
going to spend a couple of days to see first hand what is or isn't on
display at the new UH Center. ;->

[Thanking my lucky stars that Denver didn't get it.]
--
OJ III
[Email sent to Yahoo addy is burned before reading.
Lower and crunch the sig and you'll net me at comcast]

[Leanne]

"Ogden Johnson III" > wrote in message

> I was TAD to MCAS
> Beaufort. *The* nicest place I've ever spent time in - and
that
> includes 2 years as a military brat in Hawaii.

OJ,

You would be welcome if you came back to Beaufort, but not the
sleepy little town you remember. We have become a retirement
community. MCAS is active with 6 Marine and 2 Navy F/A-18 when
they are all at home. We got the Navy when Cecil Field closed.

Leanne

[Tex Houston]

"Ogden Johnson III" > wrote in message
...
> First nice weekend this spring, before the tourae hordes hit us, I'm
> going to spend a couple of days to see first hand what is or isn't on
> display at the new UH Center. ;->
>
> [Thanking my lucky stars that Denver didn't get it.]
> --
> OJ III

You really know how to hurt a guy who lives just up the road in Colorado
Springs.

Regards,

Tex

[Ogden Johnson III]

"Leanne" > wrote:

>"Ogden Johnson III" > wrote in message

>> I was TAD to MCAS
>> Beaufort. *The* nicest place I've ever spent time in - and
>that
>> includes 2 years as a military brat in Hawaii.

>You would be welcome if you came back to Beaufort, but not the
>sleepy little town you remember. We have become a retirement
>community. MCAS is active with 6 Marine and 2 Navy F/A-18 when
>they are all at home. We got the Navy when Cecil Field closed.

Not to denigrate Beaufort, which is/was nice enough to a fugitive from
beautiful downtown Havelock, but I was referring to Savannah in the
quoted comment.
--
OJ III
[Email sent to Yahoo addy is burned before reading.
Lower and crunch the sig and you'll net me at comcast]

[Bob McKellar]

Ogden Johnson III wrote:

> "Leanne" > wrote:
>
> >"Ogden Johnson III" > wrote in message
>
> >> I was TAD to MCAS
> >> Beaufort. *The* nicest place I've ever spent time in - and
> >that
> >> includes 2 years as a military brat in Hawaii.
>
> >You would be welcome if you came back to Beaufort, but not the
> >sleepy little town you remember. We have become a retirement
> >community. MCAS is active with 6 Marine and 2 Navy F/A-18 when
> >they are all at home. We got the Navy when Cecil Field closed.
>
> Not to denigrate Beaufort, which is/was nice enough to a fugitive from
> beautiful downtown Havelock, but I was referring to Savannah in the
> quoted comment.
> --
> OJ III
> [Email sent to Yahoo addy is burned before reading.
> Lower and crunch the sig and you'll net me at comcast]

Also without denigration of Beaufort, I appreciate your taste.

Perhaps you should visit again before this June. The G8 conference is
slated then for Sea Island, GA, and Savannah is the designated press
headquarters. There is much anticipation of possible rioting and damage
from the anti-everything crazies.

Fear levels are high enough that high school graduations have been moved
out of their customary downtown venue.

BTW, just like Beaufort, the "nice" parts of Savannah are a small portion
of the current city. Once you have driven 50 streets or so south from
City Hall ( we basically have no west, east or north sides ) you will be
in plain old corporate USA. Our Burger Kings, Wal-Marts and Home Depots
look just like anybody else's. Kind of depressing, actually.

Keeping on topic. we have often had Naval ships carrying Naval aircraft
tie up a stone's throw from said City Hall. ( Granted, if you can throw
a stone as far as a major league outfielder )

Bob McKellar, who couldn't throw a major league outfielder more than a
foot or so, even less if the outfielder resisted

[Leanne]

"Bob McKellar" > wrote in message
...
> BTW, just like Beaufort, the "nice" parts of Savannah are a
small portion
> of the current city. Once you have driven 50 streets or so
south from
> City Hall ( we basically have no west, east or north sides )
you will be
> in plain old corporate USA. Our Burger Kings, Wal-Marts and
Home Depots
> look just like anybody else's. Kind of depressing, actually.
>
> Keeping on topic. we have often had Naval ships carrying Naval
aircraft
> tie up a stone's throw from said City Hall. ( Granted, if you
can throw
> a stone as far as a major league outfielder )

Bob, we have fallen love with Savannah. I like to shop and visit
often. It is one of my most favorite cities.

Leanne

[Bob McKellar]

Leanne wrote:

> "Bob McKellar" > wrote in message
> ...
> > BTW, just like Beaufort, the "nice" parts of Savannah are a
> small portion
> > of the current city. Once you have driven 50 streets or so
> south from
> > City Hall ( we basically have no west, east or north sides )
> you will be
> > in plain old corporate USA. Our Burger Kings, Wal-Marts and
> Home Depots
> > look just like anybody else's. Kind of depressing, actually.
> >
> > Keeping on topic. we have often had Naval ships carrying Naval
> aircraft
> > tie up a stone's throw from said City Hall. ( Granted, if you
> can throw
> > a stone as far as a major league outfielder )
>
> Bob, we have fallen love with Savannah. I like to shop and visit
> often. It is one of my most favorite cities.
>
> Leanne

I am allowed to brag about my adopted city, since I am a newcomer. I
have only been here a bit over thirty years.

Keep shopping here, we need the sales tax money!

Bob McKellar, who has some very nice Beaufort related memories not
suitable for this group

[Tex Houston]

"Tex Houston" > wrote in message news:...
>
> "Ogden Johnson III" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Does anyone know the present status of that XF2? [The page shows last
> > edit in May of 2003.] If restoration is complete, could it have been
> > moved to the new NASM's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center located at
> > Washington Dulles International Airport? Last location shown on the
> > Smithsonian pages is G22 at the Garber Facility. [From
> > http://www.nasm.si.edu/collections/air_space.cfm et seq]
>
> > OJ III
>
> I checked the UHC list at:
>
> http://www.nasm.si.edu/museum/udvarhazy/artifacts_air.cfm
>
> and they have no Convair aircraft listed. May very well still be in
> storage.
>
> Tex Houston


Additional Seadart information...

Check out the Champlin Museum website (museum now closed) which now gives
information on a new museum coming to the Phoenix area. Note the first
entry on the preview sidebar.

Tex Houston

[Tex Houston]

"Tex Houston" > wrote in message news:...
> Additional Seadart information...
>
> Check out the Champlin Museum website (museum now closed) which now gives
> information on a new museum coming to the Phoenix area. Note the first
> entry on the preview sidebar.
>
> Tex Houston
>
>

Damn, I left out the URL. I hate it when that happens. Time to go out for
coffee.

http://www.champlinfighter.com/

Sorry,

Tex